Assembly elections | Counting halls up by 200% due to COVID norms
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Rise within the variety of postal ballots has been another excuse for rising the counting halls from 1,002 to 2,364.
Starting 8 a.m. on Sunday, the counting of votes for the 822 Assembly seats unfold throughout West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry will happen at 2,364 counting halls following the COVID-19 protocols, the Election Commission (EC) stated on Saturday.
In 2016, the overall variety of counting halls was 1,002. The over-200% enhance is due to the distancing norms being adopted by the ballot panel to curb the unfold of the coronavirus.
West Bengal could have the utmost variety of 1,113 counting halls, Kerala 633, Assam 331, Tamil Nadu 256 and Puducherry 31, the EC stated.
Another cause the fee has attributed to the rise within the variety of counting halls is the leap within the determine of postal ballots used within the 5 Assembly polls.
“The fee’s measures to lengthen the postal poll amenities to the electors within the classes of senior residents (these above 80 years), folks with disablities and people affected by the coronavirus witnessed a rise of 400% within the variety of postal ballots (from 2.97 lakh in 2016 to 13.16 lakh in 2021) within the 4 States and a Union Territory,” it stated.
The fee has designated 822 returning officers and greater than 7,000 assistant returning officers for the aim of counting of votes within the 4 States and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
Nearly 95,000 counting officers, together with micro-observers, will carry out the duty of counting.
RT-PCR take a look at consequence necessary
No candidates or their brokers will likely be allowed contained in the counting halls with out a adverse coronavirus report, in accordance to the most recent result-day pointers issued by the EC.
According to the data acquired from the State Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), the contesting candidates have given the small print of almost 1.5 lakh counting brokers (together with substitutes) within the 4 States and the UT.
More than 90% of them have already undergone RTPCR or RAT exams. The remaining are being supplied with the take a look at facility by the district election officers on Saturday.
Test stories from any authorised laboratory would even be accepted, the EC stated.
This can also be being adopted for the counting of votes within the bypolls held to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats throughout the nation.
The media authorised by the fee to cowl the counting course of can also be being facilitated with coronavirus exams. Around 12,000 mediapersons have been given the authority to cowl the counting.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra reviewed the counting preparations with senior EC officers and the CEOs of the 4 States and the UT at a digital assembly on Saturday.
He directed that every one laid-down directions of the EC should be adhered to. He additionally directed that the counting halls should be absolutely COVID pointers compliant.
The CEC complimented the CEOs for a profitable completion of polling within the difficult conditions of the pandemic.
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